Dhaka, May 22 -- City dwellers began leaving the capital on Thursday ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Azha to celebrate the festival with their families in their ancestral villages, triggering the annual rush at major transport hubs.

Visiting key terminals -- including Kamalapur Railway Station, Sadarghat Launch Terminal and bus terminals in Sayedabad, Mohakhali and Gabtoli -- The Financial Express correspondent found a steady stream of homebound passengers departing the city with festive excitement.

Officials estimate that around 15 million people may leave the capital during the Eid period, a movement that typically puts severe pressure on inter-district highways, including the Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mawa rout...